Friday, August 30, 2013

Brazil Blossoms as Solidarity Economy Beacon

Brazil
is recognized as one of the most advanced countries in terms of the
development of solidarity economy though it's received little attention
in the media, partly because of the Portuguese language barrier. I was
lucky enough to conduct an interview through a translator that has
contacts with the movement. This is an interview with Luigi Verardo, a
consultant at ANTEAG (National Association of Workers in Self-managing
Enterprises), translated by Miguel Hirota.

To give some context, the solidarity economy movement emerged in
Brazil when the country was hit by a recession caused by the
liberalization of capital markets in the late 90's. Many businesses
closed and traditional employment opportunities shrank significantly.
Then in 2003, the Brazilian Forum on the Solidarity Economy was
established, formalizing the movement. That same year, the Network of
Government Policymakers on Solidarity Economy first met and the National
Secretary of Solidarity Economy was established under President Lula.
In 2004, the first National Meeting of Solidarity Economy Enterprises
took place. Today, there are more than 120 local solidarity economy
forums and 27 state forums held on a regular basis. Working groups
communicate with the forums and government and develop technical plans
and operational aspects of the movement.

Values of the Solidarity Economy, as cited by the National Secretariat of Solidarity Economy of Brazil:

Self-management

Democratization of the economic relations

Co-operation instead of forced competition

Valuing diversity. Human beings are more important than profits

Valuing local knowledge, constant learning and training

Social justice and emancipation

Protection of the environment

Many, many networks, associations, forums,
governmental entities, and grassroots organizations now exist to
support the development of different aspects of the solidarity economy,
from community banks and microfinance to currencies, cooperatives, fair trade and nonprofit enterprises. The list is inspiring and numbers over 22,000 social enterprises, now mapped online
to connect entities, promote to consumers and develop integrated
solidarity economy commerce chains. A large percentage of these entities
are cooperative enterprises. The architecture of the movement is large
and complex, and according to local activists, emerges strongly from the
grassroots (cooperatives, unions, landless workers) while incorporating
elaborate government initiatives.

Currently Solidarity Economy is going through a redefinition process. It was built up with a social organization by the people and also with an institution (Brazilian government’s public policies). The relationship between these two entitieshasn't fully matured. So there’s a need to work for autonomy and to deepen their characteristics.

What are some of the most exciting or important recent developments?

Among what has happened recently, the 5th National Plenary of Solidarity Economy (09th to 13th December 2012, at Luziânia, Goiás: see http://e.eita.org.br/vplenaria for the final report in Portuguese) and the 2nd Solidarity Economy Social Forum (11th to 14th July 2013, at Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul).

What tools do you use to strengthen Solidarity Economy? The tools to strengthen are: holding plenaries, forum activities, communication between participants, mappings, trainings and funding.

What are its major accomplishments?

We have many accomplishments.

-Holding and broadening of forums (national forums, state-level forums all over Brazil regional and local forums).

-Having
achieved, by way of the petition to the Letter to then President Lula,
the National Secretary of Solidarity Economy (SENAES) and appointing the
Prof. Paul Singer as its secretary.-Linking Solidarity Economy with self-management. Defining Solidarity Economy’s principles.-Having set up a social network and movement beyond political parties.

-Doing
activities that combine the policies of the Brazilian Solidarity
Economy Forum (FBES) with that of SENAES by way of mapping existing
Solidarity Economy practices in Brazil.

What are its major challenges?

We can point out, among other
challenges, the problem of segmentation due to the fact that Solidarity
Economy has been built up from three segments (public policymakers,
different organizations and businesses) with a policy to put businesses as main players.
As a perspective to get over this picture, there’s a need to deepen the
characterization as a social movement with policy and culture to
promote necessary autonomy for its development.

What enabled the movement in Brazil to move so fast and be so successful compared to other countries?The movement’s organization has been developed quite quickly thanks to the following reasons:

The fact that the FBES organization was born as a fruit of the activities at the 1st
World Social Forum which took place in Brazil in 2001. The fact it was
held in Brazil promoted a significant impact among Brazilians who could
join directly or indirectly. First of all a working group, the Brazilian
Working Group of Solidarity Economy, was set up with the mission to
diffuse and organize
state-level forums at different regions, which turned into FBES in 2003
with representation, at that time, in almost every Brazilian state.

Solidarity Economy’s proposal found, especially in the first five years of the last decade, a fertile context - at that time there used to be a high level of unemployment, precariousness of the labor market and little social mobility.

With Lula’s election for
president, at the end of 2002, there were a lot of expectations and
possibilities to promote the solidarity economy within the executive
power.

What role has government played? Has the government been helpful or resistant?

The government was both helpful and resistant.

There are difficulties for the government to work with social
organizations. The State’s very structure is against promoting social
organizations and movements. The executive power has its priorities, in
the legislative power, the opposition parties created hurdles.

For more details on the organizational structure of Brazil's Solidarity Economy see this brief.

1 comment:

I remember the great crash that Brazil suffered in the 90's. It really hurt it's economy and currency. Glad to know they have learned alto from the past and are now moving forward and are a highly progressive country.

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